Year 4 Enjoy a Special Visit to Learn About Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, Year 4 enjoyed a wonderful visit from two SMS parents, Mrs Coates and Mrs Dennison, who are originally from America. They kindly came in to share the history and traditions of Thanksgiving, one of the most important holidays celebrated in the United States.

Mrs Dennison, whose daughters Ivy (Year 4) and Mae in (Year 6) attend the school, and Mrs Coates mum to Charlotte (Year 4), and Emma (Year 9) and Zoe (currently studying her A Levels) began by telling the girls the story of how Thanksgiving first began.

They explained that in the early 1600s, a group of English settlers known as the Pilgrims travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in America. Their first winter was incredibly harsh, and many struggled to survive. Thankfully, the Native Americans living in the area showed great kindness, teaching the Pilgrims how to grow crops such as corn, squash, and pumpkins, and how to live off the land.

When the Pilgrims finally enjoyed a successful harvest the following autumn, they held a three-day feast to celebrate—and invited the Native Americans who had helped them. This gathering, now known as the First Thanksgiving, became the inspiration for the holiday celebrated every year in America on the fourth Thursday of November. Today, Thanksgiving focuses on gratitude, family, food, and community, and is a non-religious holiday enjoyed by everyone across the country.

The children also explored modern Thanksgiving traditions, including large family gatherings, festive parades, pumpkin-themed treats, fun sporting activities, and moments to reflect on life’s blessings. They even had the chance to sample some of Charlotte’s homemade pumpkin bread.

To finish the session, the Year 4 girls made a Turkey Craft, adding colourful feathers that each listed something they were grateful for.

Some of their thoughtful ideas included:

• Scarlet – thankful for her fish and her little sister

• Roslyn – her family, food, and water

• Olivia – her warm, cosy bed

• Elani – her family, brother, baby sister, and good health

• Ivy – her stuffy collection

• Charlotte – her football skills

It was a fun, engaging and meaningful morning giving pupils a deeper understanding of an important American tradition while encouraging them to reflect on gratitude in their own lives.

A huge thank you to Mrs Coates and Mrs Denison for giving up their time and sharing this special celebration with Year 4!